…Region 10 organising secretary resigns
-corroborates story of Edghill’s ‘Black hard headed’ comments

DAYS after PPP’s Region 10 Deputy Chairman resigned from the party, citing racist comments from Member of Parliament Juan Edghill, another executive member has also resigned and has corroborated allegations that the church leader referred to Lindeners as ‘black and hard headed’.

Kevon Lorrimor who served as the party’s Regional Organising Secretary and has been a member for 11 years, said that it was not the first time, Edghill used derogatory remarks to describe Lindeners, noting that he has been doing so since 2015. In fact he alleged that one time it got so bad that he and Edghill had an exchange of expletives since he was in defence of Lindeners. “Despite any political party, I am a born Lindener, I would always stand up for the best interest of Linden, at the end of the day, I have to survive here, my family has to survive here and to stand for what I believe,” he said.

He said that his decision to resign is not one of ‘jumping ship’, but of finally coming to terms, that the PPP is about cliquism and does not have the best interest of Linden at heart. It is unfortunate, he affirmed, that to be a PPP supporter in an APNU strong hold such as Linden, brings a lot of outside discrimination, but the same discrimination is befalling PPP members residing in Linden, from their own party comrades.

“I stood up for the last 3 ½ years and faced discrimination because of supporting the PPP in Linden and you are getting discrimination within the party as well…if you are not part of the clique, you are called foot soldiers. It is unfortunate that they are fighting the same persons down for no reasons, they do not recognise persons who are hardworking and contributing the development, they are just about those who are in their clique and their friends,” he claims.

FALSE HOPE
Lorrimor, who is a resident of the Indigenous community of Speightland, which is also known to have a lot of PPP supporters, said that while organising the Heritage celebration, he asked the party’s leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, to support same and was told bluntly, he does not have money and time. However, upon contacting the Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sidney Allicock, without asking twice, he supported the event. “These are the little things you have to look at,” he reasoned.

He further related to this publication, that the party promised the residents of Speightland chickens to commence rearing, since it is a farming community and gave the residents false hope causing them to build the pens, but to date, they are still waiting on the chickens.

Lorrimor as well as Blair said he is also utterly disappointed at Jagdeo’s ‘newbie’ comment as well as him saying that he will play a major role, if PPP is to regain power thus ruling out Charles Ramson Jr.

He described Jagdeo as a pure dictator who has served his time and has to leave it for a new breed of people. Lorrimor added that Jagdeo intentionally used the Berbice Bridge saga to distract Guyanese during LGE period and hence praised the government for standing up and ensuring his tactics were not succeeded. Lorrimor said that he will be working with the Guyana Action Party (GAP), since his main focus is to see the development of hinterland communities.

While Lorrimor will be moving to GAP, Blair will be joining the A New United Guyana (ANUG). He too listed several reasons why he resigned from the PPP, the main one being Edghill’s derogatory remarks of Lindeners as ‘black and hard headed’. He said that the executive members of the PPP often ignore complaints of Edghill’s arrogant and disrespectful attitude. Blair was also disappointed he was not chosen as the lone municipal councillor even though he raked in more votes that the person chosen and worked the hardest during the campaign period.

Another one of his disappointments came from Jagdeo’s comment of not electing any ‘newbies’ as the presidential candidate, thus ruling out Charles Ramson. “I believe every person deserves an opportunity, Jagdeo himself was hand-picked and the position was basically given to him, so I believe that if there is a young man who believes he is ready and right and he possesses the credentials, he should be given the fairness and equal opportunity as he would have hold every candidate up for the position,” he reasoned.

BOMBASTIC
In an invited comment, Region 10 MP Jermaine Figueira rejected Edghill’s comment and said that the Bishop is known for being bombastic. “If the allegations do have an iota of truth that would be most unfortunate coming for a man of the faith, a leader in the religious and political arena.

Finally the idea of promoting racism, racist rhetoric or behaviour should not be encouraged or entertained by any Guyanese home or in the diaspora, especially if that individual is perceived as a leader or one who has an audience.”
Figueira however affirms that though Blair has joined a new party, he does not see this as a threat to pull votes from the APNU in Linden.

“He and his party will be disappointed, we taking all the votes because this election is for the future of children, communities and country. Now is not time to be distracted by these fly by night parties. We are focused on consolidating our base and engaging the youth of Guyana who we are will to work with on the direction of this country because essentially they are the leaders now and in the future.”